Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

In 1932, two blocks of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest were designated as Crown Forest Reserves. The northern block was designated as the "Kayonza Crown Forest Reserve", and the southern block designated as the "Kasatora Crown Forest Reserve". These reserves had a combined area of . In 1942, the two reserves were combined and enlarged, and was under the joint control of the Ugandan government's game and forest departments. to provide extra protection for its mountain gorillas It covered an area of . The reclassification of the park had a large impact on the Indigenous Batwa people, who were evicted from the forest and no longer permitted to enter the park or access its resources. In March 1999, a force of 100–150 former Rwandan Interahamwe guerrillas infiltrated across the border from the DRC and kidnapped 14 foreign tourists and their Ugandan guide from the park headquarters, eventually releasing six and murdering the remaining eight with machetes and clubs. Several victims were reportedly tortured, and at least one of the female victims was raped. The Ugandan guide was doused with gasoline and lit on fire. The Interahamwe attack was reportedly intended to "destabilize Uganda" and frighten away tourist traffic from the park, depriving the Ugandan government of income. The park was forced to close for several months, and the popularity of the gorilla tours suffered badly for several years, though attendance has since recovered due to greater stability in the area. An armed guard also now accompanies every tour group. == Geography and climate ==

Kabale town to the south-east is the nearest main town to the park, away by road. Its topography is very rugged, with narrow valleys intersected by rivers and steep hills. Elevations in the park range from , The park's forest plays an important role in regulating the surrounding area's environment and climate. == Biodiversity ==

The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is old, complex, and biologically rich. one of the few large tracts of East African forest where this occurs. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is important for the conservation of the afromontane fauna, especially species endemic to the Western Rift Valley's mountains. and more than 45 are small mammals. Mountain gorillas eating a root in the park Bwindi Impenetrable National Park hosts a population of the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei), known as the Bwindi population, which makes up almost half of all the mountain gorillas in the world. to 320 individuals in 2002 to 340 individuals in 2006. A census conducted in 2018 estimated that there were 36 social groups with a total of 459 mountain gorillas, as well as an additional 16 solitary individuals living in Bwindi. Poaching, disease and habitat loss are the greatest threat to the gorillas. The Bwindi mountain gorillas have been proposed by Craig Stanford as a separate, as yet unnamed subspecies of Gorilla beringei. The mountain gorilla is an endangered species, with an estimated total population of about 650 individuals. There are no mountain gorillas in captivity, but during the 1960s and 1970s, some were captured to start captive breeding. == Conservation ==

The park is owned by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, a parastatal government body. The park has total protection, although communities adjacent to the park can access some of its resources. People have lost livestock and crops from wildlife, and there have been some human deaths. The habituation of gorillas to humans in order to facilitate tourism may have increased the damage they do to local people's property because their fear of people has decreased. ==See also==